The Sacred Wedding of Zeus and Hera

The Sacred Wedding of Zeus and Hera

The Encounter

One day, Zeus, the King of the Gods, was walking around the beautiful region of Hesperides, when suddenly he spotted Hera and fell head over heels in love with her. In order to approach Hera, Zeus transformed himself into a cuckoo and then he placed himself outside her window, pretending to be frozen by the cold.

At the sight of the bird, Hera felt sorrow and pity and took it inside her house. Once inside, Zeus revealed his true identity and made love to Hera. Then, he grabbed Hera and brought her to the mountain of Cithaeron to make her his legal wife, so that she could cover her shame.

The Sacred Wedding

The marriage of Zeus and Hera took place in the Garden of Hesperides and was celebrated with exceptional honours and sacrifices. Hera was given a marvelous wedding dress to wear and was offered a seat on a golden throne next to Zeus.

Everything divine was singing hymns and praises for this sacred wedding and everybody had a precious gift to give... and most of all Gaea, the Goddess of the Earth, who treated the couple with happiness and a quince, the symbol of love and made a tree blossom with golden apples in Hera's honor. Hera was delighted and planted the tree in her garden, on the shores of the ocean.

The Honeymoon

After the ceremony, Zeus and Hera set off on a journey to the Greek island of Samos to enjoy their honeymoon... a honeymoon that lasted for 300 years!

According to Homer, this myth can be interpretated as a symbol of the earth's fertility.